* You’ll recall that 6 House Democrats sent the 19 Madigan refuseniks a letter this week informing them that their opposition to reelecting the longtime House Speaker was fueling the opposition and asked them to unite. Their response was sent today…
Rep. Jonathan Carroll of Northbrook, one of the 19, said the group was “prepared to dig in our heels” in its opposition to Madigan’s reelection.
“The message we wanted to send is that we are of differing backgrounds, differing political perspectives, but the one thing that we are unified on is that we will not be supporting Mike Madigan for the 102nd General Assembly. These are 19 ‘no’ votes and we’re pretty comfortable with where our position is,” Carroll said.
Carroll said that it has been frustrating that the full caucus of the 73 House Democrats has not been held, either in person or virtually due to the pandemic, and suggested it is an effort by Madigan to buy time to try to persuade the dissidents to come back into the fold.
“The speaker falls into that category of being a great tactician who is sitting there right now looking to say, ‘What can I do to stall this process?’” Carroll said. “My guess is time buys him the ability to potentially flip certain members and I think the statement we put out is pretty much, ‘You can have all the time you want. We’re not flipping.’”
Writing collectively for the first time, 19 Democratic state representatives issued a joint statement Saturday reiterating that they remain committed to not voting for Michael Madigan to be speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. […]
The statement from the 19 House Democrats comes two days after they received a letter obtained by WBEZ from six of their Democratic counterparts — including Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, who asked them to “come together as a family,” and talk about a “path forward for us all.” […]
Zalewski seemed to take the letter from the 19 on Saturday as an encouraging sign.
“I appreciate and welcome an area of agreement over the last couple days: We need to come together collaboratively because the work ahead is critical for the State of Illinois,” Zalewski wrote in response to Saturday’s statement from his 19 colleagues.
* Sorry that I didn’t get to a question today. We’ll get back to it next week, but we didn’t receive very many responses to our campaign staff question, so I’m not sure what to do with this particular category. Click here and comment over the weekend (I’ll be able to see them, even if nobody else will until Monday) and we’ll see if we can push the numbers up a bit.
Also, I received a very nice note from Lutheran Social Services of Illinois thanking me for the fundraising. But, really, that praise belongs to all of you who have contributed to LSSI this year. If you haven’t yet, please, click here. Thanks.
Reports continue of people receiving unemployment benefits when they didn’t apply for them, and other fraudulent activity. There’s also a slew of reports of independent workers like hair stylists who were shut down by the state in the spring because of COVID-19 being told they have to pay back the money they got for unemployment.
State Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian, said he can’t get anyone at the state agency to return his calls after constituents pleaded for help.
“They were shut down by the government,” Marron said. “They were promised relief, help to make sure they got through. That liked to never come but when it finally did get there, now months later after that’s been spent just so these people can just keep their head above water, the government’s demanding that they pay the money back?”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacted to the growing reports saying the federally created Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is faulty because it required the benefactor to self-report their income level.
“They put down what they might have thought was going to be their income for the year otherwise, and the state has to verify those numbers on the backend,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said Congress created the program and it’s up to them to fix it.
* Pritzker is right that this is a national issue. New York Times…
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal program that covers gig workers, part-time hires, seasonal workers and others who do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits, has kept millions afloat. The program, established by Congress in March as part of the CARES Act, has provided over $70 billion in relief.
But in carrying out the hastily conceived program, states have overpaid hundreds of thousands of workers — often because of administrative errors. Now states are asking for that money back.
The notices come out of the blue, with instructions to repay thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Those being billed, already living on the edge, are told that their benefits will be reduced to compensate for the errors — or that the state may even put a lien on their home, come after future wages or withhold tax refunds.
Many who collected payments are still out of a job, and may have little prospect of getting one. Most had no idea that they were being overpaid. […]
House Democrats have called for renewed pandemic relief to include a provision allowing states to waive overpayments when workers cannot repay them without severe hardship. The provision would apply to previous and future cases. A separate House bill, with bipartisan sponsorship, provides for forgiveness if the overpayment was not the recipient’s fault and “such repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience.”
Even so, IDES just has to find a way to be more responsive. And do it, like, now.
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Lindsey LaPointe…
Hi Rich,
I have filed a bill to waive unemployment overpayments during the pandemic if the state is at fault, HB5861. As reporting has outlined, a big source of the overpayments is PUA and we would need federal action to allow states to waive those overpayments.
After some media coverage, I am now receiving emails from residents quite literally from all over the state with their anxiety provoking experiences and desperation. The state is asking them to payback amounts in the range of $1k-11k. Here are a few highlights.
• “I received an email this week saying that I owe the State over $3,000. That’s about 20% of what they paid me to begin with. I understand miscalculations can be made, but how can you be off by 20%? It makes no sense. My entire family had COVID a few weeks ago, and I barely worked the entire month to recover and care for them. Still, I did not file for Unemployment because it is such a headache. Well, since I haven’t worked, I don’t have much money coming in, and Christmas is two weeks away as well. Where am I supposed to come up with $3000? I think this is an injustice. Why is it my problem that you can’t figure out benefits properly? Still, I doubt it is worth my time to appeal.
I’ve never been on food stamps, SNAP, welfare, or collected unemployment before. I just needed a little help to get me through the pandemic, and now I feel like I am being stabbed in the back”. - Byron, IL
• “Today I received a correspondence letter from IDES claiming that I was overpaid by almost 4k. They are demanding I pay this back in less than a month. When the pandemic hit in March, my hours were reduced from 40 hours a week to 10-12 hours a week. I spent several weeks trying to get approved for IDES, from March-May and finally received my benefits in June. They deposited a lump some, it was back pay from the date that I applied. Now they claim that I was over paid every single week that I received pay and they are demanding that I also pay ALL of the additional $600 back. I am utterly, sick to my stomach. I feel like giving up. This feels like a nightmare.” - Chicago, IL
Echoing her career work fighting for Black families and disadvantaged communities, state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, was elected Joint Caucus Chair for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC).
“I am honored to receive the trust of my colleagues as we enter what I expect to be an impactful legislative session,” Harper said. “This past year has illustrated the critical need for reform in Illinois to combat systemic racism in the areas of education, economic development, criminal justice, health care and human services. Tremendous sacrifice has led us to this moment, and it is our duty to improve the quality of life for Illinoisans.”
Since its founding in 1968, the ILBC has worked to ensure that the interests of African Americans and Black communities are given equitable representation in the Illinois General Assembly regarding areas of education, health and welfare, minority business enterprise, job creation, consumer education and criminal justice reform. As Joint Caucus Chair, Harper succeeds Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford.
Harper plans to focus on four policy pillars announced by the Black Caucus this fall to promote racial justice and equal opportunity. The four pillars are:
• Criminal justice reform, police accountability and violence reduction.
• Economic access, equity and opportunity.
• Education and workforce development.
• Health care and human services.
“In addition to working to pass our legislative priorities regarding racial justice, we will continue to focus on assisting students pursuing higher education and sparking greater interest in civics and the legislative process,” Harper said. “I’m grateful for the dedication and hard work exhibited by Senator Lightford and I can’t thank her enough for her incredible leadership and stewardship of the Black Caucus. I look forward to working with the diverse and talented members of our caucus to continue our mission to improve the lives of Illinoisans.”
Harper, a Chicago Democrat, defeated Rep. Carol Ammons for the leadership position.
Also elected to the joint Black Caucus leadership team: Sen. Emil Jones will be treasurer, newly elected Rep. Lakesia Collins is secretary, and Rep. Curtis Tarver II is sergeant-at-arms. All are Democrats.
Separately, the Senate Black Caucus elected Sen. Robert Peters as its chair.
The House Black Caucus will elect its new leadership Dec. 15. There is buzz that Rep. Kam Buckner could be part of the leadership team.
After six years in this role, I leave it with a heavy heart but a content one. My colleagues and I went to battle against a governor who tried to undermine our communities for four years and we still managed to get things done that will have lasting impacts on closing opportunity gaps for the people we serve. And now we have a historic opportunity to undo harm from generations of systemic racism through the passage of our Black agenda. And I’m going to finish what I started because there is nothing more important to this caucus, our communities and our state then putting racism and the structures that have given them life to rest.
The countdown to the 2021 Illinois State Fair is formally underway with fair officials announcing the start of the holiday promotional campaign starring the Mega Pass. A new Jumbo Pass will give fairgoers access to everything the Mega Pass has to offer, but with the added bonus of unlimited rides on a fan favorite, the Giant Slide.
The Illinois State Fair will be offering a Holiday Special on both passes December 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021. During this time the 2021 Mega Pass is just $60, while the Jumbo Pass will be offered at $70. Anyone who purchases a Mega or Jumbo Pass will receive a full refund if COVID prevents the Illinois State Fair from being held.
“You will see all new rides on our midway in 2021, adding more value to your Mega or Jumbo Pass,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “The Double Ferris Wheel (Skywheel) and Mega Drop (Supershot) make their way back to the Illinois State Fair along with numerous other spectacular rides including: The Eclipse, X Scream, Rockstar, Screamer, Catch N Air and Surfs Up, just to name a few of our new attractions.”
Mega and Jumbo Passes will be available for purchase throughout the Fair. However, the price will increase to $70 for the Mega Pass and $80 for the Jumbo Pass on February 16 and increase to $80 and $100 beginning August 1.
Admission Bargain Books and Seasonal Infield Parking Passes are also available and make great stocking stuffers. For just $45, the Admission Bargain Book provides eleven any-day admissions to the 2021 Illinois State Fair. The Seasonal Infield Parking Pass is only $40. This allows you to park on the infield all eleven days of the fair.
More information regarding the 2021 Illinois State Fair will be released in the near future. To be among the first to receive new information about the Illinois State Fair, sign up for alerts at www.illinoisstatefair.info.
Take advantage of these limited time deals in any of the following ways:
Online: www.illinoisstatefair.info
By Mail: Download the application at www.illinoisstatefair.info and mail to the address on the order form.
To Order By Phone or Have Questions: Call 217-782-6661 and leave a message. We will get back to you directly to take your order.
The 2021 Illinois State Fair will take place August 12-22.
*** UPDATE *** Wasn’t expecting this…
The Illinois State Fair is excited to announce seven confirmed Illinois Lottery Grandstand acts for 2021. This is the first time the Illinois State Fair has announced and gone on-sale with grandstand acts prior to the new year. This year’s lineup has something for everyone. Fairgoers who purchase grandstand tickets will receive a full refund if COVID-19 prevents the Illinois State Fair from being held.
Veterans Day at the fair will feature an artist who is no stranger to performing for our troops. Toby Keith takes the stage on Sunday, August 15. Keith has gone on 11 USO Tours and entertained nearly 256,000 troops in 18 countries. Craig Morgan will open for the two-time Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year.
On Tuesday, August 17, Chris Young will take the stage for Agriculture Day. The “Raised on Country” singer and songwriter will be accompanied by Ingrid Andress and Payton Smith.
Coming straight off her Female Artist of the Year nomination at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kylie Morgan will play the grandstand on Friday, August 20.
Saturday, August 14 the sounds coming from the grandstand will change from harmonious melodies to roars of laughter when Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias brings his comedy to the Illinois State Fair. The star of I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy and Hot and Fluffy will entertain the whole family.
The grandstand will be rocking for two nights when Badflower and George Thorogood take the grandstand stage. Since their emergence in 2014, Badflower has shared the stage with the likes of Cage the Elephant, Soundgarden and Ghost. They will be on the grandstand stage Thursday, August 19. George Thorogood has been generating hit songs since 1975. The Good to be Bad Tour will bring along 38 Special to the party on Sunday, August 22.
The Traveling Salvation Show will return in 2021, after entertaining crowds with the sounds of Neil Diamond in 2019. This up-tempo, rock-oriented tribute to the legendary singer will have you dancing and singing along to all of Diamond’s classic hits. The free show will be Monday, August 16.
“We are excited about this year’s Illinois Lottery Grandstand lineup,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “Our goal is to have entertainment for everyone and this diverse lineup accomplishes that goal. We will have more to announce soon to give us even more to be excited for in 2021.”
In addition to a fantastic grandstand lineup, fairgoers will now have the option of buying premium tickets in our new seating area called The Blue Ribbon Zone. The price of this ticket includes a seat at a high-top table with accompanying bar stool, finger foods served to ticketholders prior to the concert, and a designated waitstaff at your service throughout the show.
Tickets to all the announced Illinois Lottery Grandstand Stage concerts can be purchased starting December 15 at Ticketmaster.com.
Thursday, August 12: TBD
Friday, August 13: TBD
Saturday, August 14: Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
Tier 3 - $26 / Tier 2 - $31 / Tier 1 - $36 / Track Seats 1200 Avail. - $46 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $71
Sunday, August 15: Toby Keith with Craig Morgan
Tier 3 - $39 / Tier 2 - $44 / Tier 1 - $49 / SRO Track - $59 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $84
Monday, August 16: The Traveling Salvation Show – A Tribute to Neil Diamond
FREE Concert
Tuesday, August 17: Chris Young with Ingrid Andress and Payton Smith
Tier 3 - $27 / Tier 2 - $32 / Tier 1 - $37 / SRO Track - $47 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $72
Wednesday, August 18: TBD
Thursday, August 19: Bad Flower with TBD
General Admission Seating - $15 / SRO Track - $15/ Blue Ribbon Zone - $50
* At time of purchase, customer will choose whether they are buying Blue Ribbon Zone seats, a general admission seat, or a standing room only track ticket.
Friday, August 20: Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kylie Morgan with Chapel Hart
Tier 3 - $25 / Tier 2 - $30 / Tier 1 - $35 / SRO Track - $45 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $70
Saturday, August 21: TBD
Sunday, August 22: George Thorogood with 38 Special
Tier 3 - $14 / Tier 2 - $19 / Tier 1 - $24 / SRO Track - $34 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $59
Mark your calendars for the 2021 Illinois State Fair, August 12 through 22, in Springfield. Stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements from the Illinois State Fair by connecting with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Citing concerns that their division over reelecting Michael Madigan as Illinois House Speaker is giving strength to their political opponents, six Illinois House Democrats are pleading with their 19 colleagues who have committed to not supporting Madigan to “come together as a family” and “unite for a common purpose.”
In a letter marked “Confidential” and obtained by WBEZ on Thursday, the group laid out a lengthy case that the Democratic caucus should unite in order to advance their own substantial agenda. That includes addressing systemic racism, a massive state budget hole caused by a stalled economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and even ethics reforms.
While the letter does not overtly call on any of the 19 lawmakers who oppose Madigan to flip back in favor of Madigan, the authors do appear to be challenging the 19 — urging them to talk with the Democrats who remain aligned with Madigan to come up with a solution. […]
They cite a recently-published Chicago Tribune editorial in which the newspaper’s editorial board advocates for Republicans — who hold a super minority of members in the House — to get behind a Democratic lawmaker who is not Madigan to be the next speaker. […]
The letter was signed by six Madigan-aligned state representatives: Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, Frances Hurley, D-Chicago, John D’Amico, D-Chicago, Nick Smith, D-Chicago, Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island.
*** UPDATE *** The letter…
Dear Colleagues,
We write to you during unprecedented times for the House Democratic Caucus. Commonwealth Edison’s deferred prosecution agreement and subsequent indictments have understandably caused many of us to consider the future of our Caucus, who should lead us, and the type of transition process we all wish would occur in the coming months. Each of you has publicly, in your own way, acknowledged that these circumstances have led you to a position where you cannot place your faith in Mike Madigan to continue as House Speaker for the 102nd General Assembly. While many members of the Caucus do not agree with that conclusion, your personal process in reaching your decision deserves respect and recognition, both individually and collectively. You are our brothers and sisters, and we have no doubt through all of this, our Caucus will come out stronger on the other side.
We would be remiss if we didn’t also acknowledge the perilous state our Caucus finds itself in as we enter 2021. Illinois is facing a massive budget crisis, exacerbated by a decimated economy due to COVID-19 and the failure of the Fair Tax proposal. Our state’s congressional and legislative maps must be redrawn next Spring, a process that inevitably will be challenged by forces determined to undermine the racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity of this state by insisting that artificial constraints be placed upon our ability to best represent our constituents. The Black Caucus is asking us to address systemic racism, including the fundamental flaws within the criminal justice system, economic inequity, and policing reform. The Governor’s office and environmental groups are prepared to ask us to address an environmental package that will fundamentally change Illinois’ energy market and our approach to environmental justice for generations. Local property taxes continue to rise unabated, and taxpayers will continue to suffer as units of local government struggle to fund education, fire departments, and other necessary services. Ethics reforms to help rebuild faith in our state and local elected officials can’t be implemented until we reconvene. Not to mention the various issues of importance to local communities and the 177 members of the General Assembly. None of this is, nor should be, news to you. But saying it out loud demonstrates the enormity of what lies ahead.
On Sunday, December 6, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board wrote the following:
Illinois Republicans made minor gains in the November election in Illinois. They recently floated the idea of their House leader, Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, courting Democrats for the January vote to be House speaker. That idea got torpedoed within hours. Democrats might not want to keep reporting to Madigan, but they won’t support a Republican to lead the House.
To be clear, the Editorial Board with a history of animosity toward core issues that our Caucus holds dear has openly called for the House Republican Caucus to intervene in our leadership election. The inherent danger in even considering that premise cannot be understated.
For any outside forces, specifically those with ideological bents against social services, persons of color, women, veterans, public education and labor to even broach the idea that our Caucus’ leadership should be decided by any other voices but our own is disturbing. It poses a risk to our constituents we individually and collectively work to protect. For four years, our caucus stood united as the single barrier between Bruce Rauner, the Republican caucuses, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, and others who fought to destroy our state and our values. Meanwhile, we are the Caucus that delivered on promises to allow our citizens to marry who they choose to love; guarantee equal pay for women; raise the minimum wage; repeal the death penalty; legalize and regulate cannabis; mandate corporations prioritize diversity on their boards; develop a first-of- its-kind mental health reporting system for firearm ownership; require disinvestment of State funds from countries such as the Sudan and Iran, and pass a comprehensive capital bill. United, we are capable of fundamentally good things.
The reason the Editorial Board felt it had license to even make the suggestion is because we aren’t united—neither publicly, nor privately. This kind of pressure will only increase in the coming weeks, and, left to fester, cause damage to our mission to serve our constituents best. There is so much on the line. The time is short. The stakes are high.
This letter isn’t meant to persuade you to question your decision, rather it is an invitation to come together as a family and show our opposition that we’re better than they assume. That we, the House Democratic Caucus, can once again unite for a common purpose. That we are more concerned about the collective fate of our state than our individual elections.
We very much hope you consider this in the spirit in which it was intended: a desire to start a dialogue, in the forum of an agreed upon choice, to achieve a path forward for us all. We look forward to hearing from you.
